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Letters Patent Efo. 76,149, dated .March 31, 1,868.

IMPROVEMENT IN SBALING CANS AND JARS.

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TO ALL WIIOM I'I MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN BELLERJEAU, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improved Self-Sealing Cun or Jar; and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear and exact description of the nature thereof, suiiicient to nableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to fully understand and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this'l specification, in whieh Figure I is a side elevation of the device illustrating my invention..

Figure 2 is a central vertical section thereof'.

Figures 3 and 4 are modifications thereof. v

Similar letters'ot` reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

My invention is a new and useful self-sealing can or jar, of glass, metal, wood, clay, or any other suitable material, and consists in securing the top, cap'jor lid to the body by means of clamping-springs, or ahook audi elaspingspring, or a hooked'bar and wedge, or its equivalent. The springs and hooks may be united directlyv "to the top or lid, or form parts of separate plates or bars, and they are adapted to catehunder an angular rimi or lange at or near the open end ofthe body at its outer surface. The interna-l surface of the body is unbroken from top to bottom, and possesses the same diameter throughout.

A can or jar constructed according to my plan is quickly and firmly closed or sea-led, and readily opened,. as will be hereinafter more fully described. 7

In the drawings, A represents the body of the can or jar, being of cylindrical form, and constructed of glassymetal, wood, clay, or any other suitable material. The internal surface is uniform throughout, being' unbroken from top to bottom, and possessing the same diameter. The body is provided, on its outer surface, at or near itsvupper er open end, with an angular 4rim or tlange,`B, which projects downwardly and outwardly, forming a bevel, a, and terminating in a shoulder, b, which forms the bottom or lower side of said rim or flange. C is the lid, cover, cap, or top. It is constructed of any proper material, and of form to Correspond to the' shape and size of the body.- Suitable rubber packing, or other sealing medium, b, is applied between the cap C and body A. The cap may have`a shoulder, c, which rests on the top of the body, the joint between the twoy Vhaving the interposedpacking or sealing medium, and thus being entirely closed. To the cap or top C, I apply, in any known manner, two or more clasping-springs, D, which are made of suitable elastic material, and of an angular or rounded part, rl e, forming a'catch, anda continuation or thumb-piece, The said springs project downwardly, and may be attached directly to the top or cap C, or to a separate disk or plate, E, which lies or tits over the top or cap C, as in iig. 1. v y

The operation is as follows: rIhe cap or top and disk are arranged on the top of the jar or can, with the interposed packing or sealing medium, and then pressed to their places.- The point ofjunction, g, between the angular or rounded part Z e and thumb-pieccf ofthe springs D, will come in contact with the angular or bevel rim B. V'lhe downward movement of'n the cap will force the springs outwardly until the point g clears the bevel a, when they will spring inwardly towards the body of the can, and the part e catch under the shoulder b. The cap or top and body will thus be firmly clamped together and securely fastened.4 To release the cap it is only necessary to throw one or more ofthe springs oil` from the rim by drawing them upwardly away from the body, when the cap or top iseasily detached. Y

Any number ot' these clasping-springs may be applied, but it is desirable that at least two should be used, and so arranged as to press the cap uniformly on the body. The cap, ifconstructed of metal, may be countersunk' to form a shoulder, and the springs cut out of the same piece of metal, and then suitably bent so as to catch under the rim I3.

A modification of the above is in applying a`clasping-spring at one part of the cap, and a hook, F, at nnothc'r part, or they muy be constructed at the ends of a separate strip or bar, F', and laid or fitted over the cap or cover, as shown in iig. 4. The hook should be secured or caught under the Harige or rim B, thus forming a l1inge,and the cap is then vpressed to` its place, the rubber or sealing medium being before applied. '.lhev spring D catches under the rim or `ilangzztanzd, with the hook at the opposite end, will hold the cap firmly in place. In order to release the cap, the spring D is forced upwardly off. from the rim or ange, when the cap can be readily detached.

Fig. 3 is a modification in which hooks alone are used, being formed on both ends of a bar or strip, G, which is slippediover the top ofthe cap, with the hooks under the rim or flange until the bar is over the middle of the cap. A wedge, H, is now inserted under the bar, between itl and the top orcap C, and forced through' as far asnecessary, when it will be perceived that the top or cap is rmly pressed against the body ofthe can.'v

To release the cap, itis only necessary to withdraw the Wedge and slip oli1 the hooked bar or strip Gr. A full equivalent to the wedge is found in forming an inclined plane on the lupper side of the top or cap C, or in making the entire cap with an inclined upper surface. The rubber packing will project beyond the outer surface of the can or )'algso as'to be grasped or caught, and thus be draw-n away from thejoint, and therebyallow air torilow into the can previous to opening or unscaling the same.

e The advantageso' my jar or can are, that it can be opened, emptied, and-cleaned easier and better than jars havingl shoulders in the neck; that fruit can be introduced whole in'to it; and' that it can be readily made,

- there being no complicationof parts. f formed of glass, it may be made in a mould having a plunger, so as to secure to thejar a uniform thickness throughout, andwhich is therefore less liable to break through changes oftemperature. In full, my can or jar possesses simplicity, cheapneSSLdurablity, and utility. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desirel to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cap or top C, having clasping-springs, D, and the body A with'A the bevel flange B, combined und operating substantially as described. v

2. The claspingfsprings D and hook orl hinge F, in combination with the cap or top Cand the body A, having flange B, and operating substantiallyas described. v

3. The combination of the wedge H, hooked bar or strip G, and body A, having angular flange B, substantially as described, vfurthe purpose specified. v l

To the above I have signed my name, this `50th dav of`-0ctober, 1867.l

vJOHN BELLERJEAU.

Witnesses':

DANIEL L. GABEL, LEVI FRAzIER. 

